The comma fetish – There was a writer who felt the need to use, like, commas for well, everything that could, be considered a, pause in speech. The thing is, by getting rid of the commas the prose was tighter and read better to my inner ears. If it was only a matter of style, I may have let them be. As it was, they were a major distraction so I kicked them to the curb.
My favourite Tumblemoose post yet.
I get very upset about comma fetish, as George puts it. I think writers often use them when they’re unsure about whether two clauses need to be in the same sentence or not.
My advice is this. If in doubt, go with the full stop (or period to my transatlantic pals).
I can write this sentence. Followed by this one. And you’ll know that they’re connected. It’s no big deal. Both just signify a pause. But the full stop makes things clearer. It keeps it simple. Promise.
